The Best College Football Team of ALL TIME

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Let’s go fishing

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Alright! Now I’m starting to see your point of view!

Todd, You make very valid points and like you said, there are a lot of people who agree with your view. I have had my own ideas about this for a long time now. Many of your points I agree with and I wish things didn’t happen the way they did. We’ll see what the season brings.

The cool quotes Instant UBB Code is located in the bottom right when you are making a new post or a response.

Now, I owe you a day on the water. I say we do some bassin’. Just give me a shout when you want to go.

Mack, I have to agree with you. Calli really disappointed me and I’m sure all Husker fans tonight. All my buddies and I kept saying during the first half – “is he playing not to get blown out?”! What a joke. I feel bad for the kids. What message did he send to his players? I don’t care if they lose the game but at least play to win. I’d like to know how he’s going to explain his game management tonight. The guys played as hard as they could and he just tied their hands all night. I’m disgusted.

I owe you one Mack. You name it.

Just wondered how you felt after the season Wade?

Yup, I haven’t changed my mind. I think we are destined to mediocrity at this point. 2007 is coming up and Wake Forest, USC, Texas, A & M, KSU, CU, KU, MU games look iffy. Plus Chizek is now at ISU. Sorta looks like at least 2 if not 5 losses next year. (I’d bet on around 4 – USC, Texas, KSU, plus one of the others like Wake, AM or CU.

Did you notice Solich was coach of the year in the MAC. That makes 3 times in his 8 years he’s been named coach of the year in his conference (Big 12 twice).

Maybe Keller will be the real deal next year. But if he holds on to the ball like Zac, the backup better keep warm.

I’m also trying to figure out how Brandon Jackson ends up 1st team RB but couldn’t start for his own team until into the Big 12 Schedule.

I’m brutal:

We gave up against USC when the whistle sounded
We escaped a so so KU team at home (6-6)
Texas ain’t the near miss it looked like at the time
OSU – that was epic
A&M – never been that excited to beat a top 30 team
CU – Thank god for Inspector Gadget
OU – just sad, we sorta snatched defeat from the jaws of victory there.

Now we’re back at 4 losses with a probable 5th in the bowl game.

That said I’d grant there was progress on the O side of the ball. We found a running game at times at least. The Defense is a different story. In year three with the way we’ve went after JUCO’s I don’t want to even hear how it’s all Solich’s fault.

Thankfully Pelini has went on to stink up LSU

Glad we got a CB though, we need about 4 Deion/Ronnie Lott’s with Elmassian and Cosgrove.

How’s the ol’ fundraising going down in Lincoln, haven’t seen an article in a year or so?

Look at Florida State, Miami, etc. Those 10-11 wins aren’t a right anymore!

I do hope they get better and thought they did this year, though it was hard to say with the Big 12 being so bad overall.

Todd

Honestly, I feel better at this point then I did at the beginning of the season. I am very pleased with the direction we’re heading. In the next year or two we will finally have some depth in the program again. I am excited about some of the young recruits we have on the way.

I’m optomistic about next season. We’re losing some key guys on the D-line but we’re moving up at a lot of other positions. I’d love to see us pull out a win at home against USC. Should be another fun season. Overall, I thought this one was a blast myself!

What is a good recruiting year? Top 5, Top 10, Top 20 by Rivals and Scouts? Or is it a class mixed with Nebraskan’s that fits the program and needs ranking be darned? We’ve had one Top 5 and Two Top 20’s under BC roughly, does that mean we should be happy to be 15th or so every year if Recruiting determines the outcome of games? Cuz if we don’t get all Top 5 classes we can’t probably win the Big 12, much less a NC right? Or if we have top recruiting classes that don’t play to their ranking of “experts” is it the coaches fault? If they are horrible recruiting classes like Solich’s supposedly but yet they are 2, 7, 7 as an example does that mean they were coached up really good? I’m not knocking recruiting, it’s the lifeblood, I just don’t think Rivals bestows any trophies.

I get lost.

Rankings
1999 – 2nd
2000 – 7th
2001 – 7th – played in NC
2002 – NR, played in Bowl
2003 – 18th, won Bowl
2004 – NR, Disaster Season
2005 – 24th
2006 – 22nd, Probable Bowl Loss, NR. IF Win, move up to 18?

That would appear we are on track to be NR 2 out of the last three years by my count.

What do you predict for a record next year? Are you saying we’ll have one or two losses and go to a BCS Bowl in 07? Are you saying undefeated or 1 loss in 08 and win the Big 12? I would expect NO LESS if our program is “on track”.

What is the criteria for success for Husker Football? This mythical Progress?

Remember, we changed EVERYTHING to “not surrender the Big 12 to Texas and Oklahoma”.

If we are turning it around, how come programs aren’t sniffing around Callahan with all the Openings? I don’t hear much about Miami and the others calling. Not a lot of links to NFL openings after the season.

Heck, one might begin to think Callahan’s mentor Jon Gruden benefited from a hugely talented Oakland team that he didn’t assemble and Tony Dungy’s team in Tampa that he didn’t assemble for his success given his last few years in Tampa…

I’d like to point out some awful Solich recruits that Callahan can’t seem to get off the field

Carriker
Fluellen (hurt)
Herian
Mann (mono)
Jay Moore
Fabian Washington – NFL
Demorrio Williams – NFL
Greg Austin – hurt
Titus Brother
Bret Byford
Tierre Green
Corey McKeown
Josh Mueller
Chris Patrick
JB Phillips
Bo Ruud
Lance Brandenburgh – He was Solich’s
Courtney Grixby
Mike Huff
Ty Steinkuhler
Nathan Swift
Andrew Shanle
Lydon Murtha
Terrence Nunn
Brandon Jackson? Can’t remember if was Solich/Callahan

Much has also been made in the media that we have an “old” team, not a young team relatively in the Big 12? Hard to figure with all these JUCO’s and great classes.

I still say you have to give him 5 years. But I don’t think we’ll be any better than this year in 2 years.

By the way, the only non-conf game scheduled in 08 is Va Tech in Lincoln. Plus the Big 12 will have a bunch of Junior and Senior QB’s that have played a lot (McCoy, Freeman, Daniels, McGee, etc). We will probably have a first year starter – Witt or Lee??

Aaargh.

Sorry, I’m just really bummed out for some reason. NU Football WAS a huge part of my life and I really realized this year it’s gone, for some reason part of me thought it might come back.

Wade, don’t ever change, you are a true Optimist! I mean that seriously, it’s good you are that way.

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Wade, don’t ever change, you are a true Optimist! I mean that seriously, it’s good you are that way.

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Thanks Todd! I know you do. We see this from two different points of view and that’s okay.

We’ll be sure NOT to talk much Husker football on our ice fishing trip to Okoboji.

I copied the following from a poster on Huskerpedia. I guess what got me going was all the recruiting talk now.

Starters in Saturday’s game are marked with a *, Big 12 Honors are from the Coaches Team)

OU 2002 CLASS (#7 national Rivals ranking)
*LB-Alexander, Rufus (BIG 12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, ALL BIG 12 FIRST TEAM)
*LT-Messner, Chris (ALL BIG 12 FIRST TEAM)
*DE-Birdine, Larry (ALL BIG 12 FIRST TEAM)
*QB-Thompson, Paul (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*LB-Latimer, Zach (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*DE-Thibodeaux, Calvin

NU 2002 CLASS (#40 national Rivals ranking)
*DE-Carriker, Adam (BIG 12 D-LINEMAN OF THE YEAR, ALL BIG 12 FIRST TEAM)
*FB-Todd, Dane (ALL BIG 12 FIRST TEAM)
*DE-Moore, Jay (ALL BIG 12 SECOND TEAM)
*LB-Bradley, Stewart (walk-on) (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*S-Shanle, Andrew (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*TE-Herian, Matt

Each team has 6 starters & 0 reserves from the 2002 class who played Saturday. OU’s 02 class has slightly better all-league “honors”, with 3 First-Team selections & 2 Honorable Mentions. NU’s 02 class has 2 First-Team selections, 1 Second-Team selection & 2 Honorable Mentions. (Plus, you’d have to think a healthy Kurt Mann & a 100% Matt Herian would’ve been up for league honors – tough season for both of those seniors.) Regardless of the slight edge OU has in league honored players, it’s hardly the type of talent difference you’d expect from a ranking of 7th vs 40th.

Now the 03 classes. Again, these listings are the players from those classes who played Saturday, starters have a *.

OU 2003 CLASS (#4 national Rivals ranking)
*DT-Coleman, Steven (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*TE-Finley, Joe Jon (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*S-Williams, Darien (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*FB-Zaslaw, Dane
RB-Gutierrez, Jacob
LB-Baker, Lewis
DE-Dotson, Alonzo
LB-Pleasant, Demarrio

NU 2003 CLASS (#42 national Rivals ranking)
*LB-Ruud, Bo (ALL BIG 12 FIRST TEAM)
*C-Byford, Brett (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*LB-McKeon, Corey (ALL BIG 12 HON. MENT.)
*S-Green, Tierre
*TE-Phillips, JB
*LT-Patrick, Chris
TE-Mueller, Josh

OU’s 2003 class had 4 starters Saturday and another 4 reserves, while NU’s 2003 class had 6 starters Saturday and 1 reserve. NU’s 03 class has the slightly better all-league “honors” this time, with 1 First-Team selection & 2 Honorable Mentions. OU’s 03 class has three honored players, too, all 3 Honorable Mention, though. Again, hardly the type of talent difference you’d expect from a ranking of 4th vs 42nd.

Sorry, I don’t have time to run the same information for the 04 & 05 classes today. But I think the 02 & 03 classes are the most interesting to study, because of the extremely large gap in Rivals rankings.

Was OU the more talented team Saturday? Almost certainly, although not to the degree that the 02 and 03 Rivals rankings might lead one to believe. There are many factors that go into a win or loss. IMO, it’s too simplistic to say talent was the overriding factor, especially when trying to evaluate a talent difference based on rankings that are almost 4 and 5 years old.

Finally, I find it disappointing that some fans would continue to insinuate that NU’s juniors and seniors don’t have talent, based solely on Rivals rankings that are 4 and 5 years old. These players have given years of dedication and countless hours of work to the NU program. They’ve worked through system changes and coaching changes, but have chosen to stick with the Huskers. Some of them – Greg Austin, 03 recruiting class – have literally given their bodies to the Husker program to the detriment of their future health. And several have proven their talent on the field, having received All Big 12 honors last week – both OU & NU had 8 players from the 02 & 03 classes honored by the league’s coaches & NU actually had more All Big 12 First & Second Team selections from those two classes than OU, 4 to 3. Yet some fans want to degrade their abilities and give them a stigma because of some Rivals team rankings attached to the players’ signing class from when they were in high school. It’s puzzling.

Solich should be shot for bringing Green and Grixby in. If getting rid of Solich means we never get another Green of Grixby then the trade is worth it!!!!!!!

Todd, I don’t go by rivals or scout rankings. You’ll rarely see me mention “class rankings”. I think you and I agree on this. Those rankings are not how you put a team together, nor how you rank your recruiting class. I look at who we’re bringing in, what they bring to the table, how they fill current/future position holes, what their coaches and others say about their talent and their work ethic, etc. I try to do my own homework rather than simply trust what rivals or scout says. It’s a bit of a hobby I guess. As with all recruiting classes, time will tell. As I said, on the face of it, going into 2007 I think we’re looking very good. This year, we made it to the B12 Chamionship. Next year, I sure hope we can win the B12 Championship, and keep moving forward. OK and TX will be very tough again. Winning the B12 isn’t going to ever be easy. But I feel like we’ll at least be able to compete with teams like TX and OK. There’s no shame in losing to OK this year. They are a damn good football team with one of the top coaches in the nation. Their only loss was to TX when TX was rolling and playing great ball. OK exposed our weakness and attacked that weakness over and over again. That’s what good teams do. Hopefully, we won’t be so easy to pick on next year. I don’t think we will!

Zach, glad you weighed in!

Courtney Grixby – Ranked 4 & 5 by Rivals and Scouts in US. Generally around 40th overall in US among HS players, definitely top 100. He turned down Notre Dame among others. Personally, I think he’s a pretty good player. Just maybe not in the role for him at times with the schemes (I think small, quick CB’s need to be in press coverage, they are at a disadvantage if you take their quickness away). Basically one of the highest rated players period we have recruited in the past few years.

Green – was unranked, but was considered a Big 12 athlete. Further he was cousin to Ahman and his uncle Michael lettered in the late 60’s for the Huskers, I sure would take him. I thought he looked very good at times as a RB and maybe… should have been left there? When he came we had the Bullocks twins, they turned out ok..

Green avg’d 6.5 yds/carry in 04, far better than Ross or Brandon Jackson actually. So… I can’t say he wasn’t a good RB from that perspective.

IF Solich hadn’t recruited these in-state guys he’d have been blasted. Playing them is another thing, that’s earned on the field and what you have for other players.

I guess that is what I’m saying in a nutshell, these guys are “older” players. Maybe we should have gotten a few less WR/RB on scholarship that have never played and a few more DB’s.

FYI – What’s in the pipeline.

2007 – 2 5’10” CB’s and Murillo at 6′. 1 S, West, at 6’1 and 195

2006 – CB Jones JUCO, 2 HS Safeties, and Culbert (under 1 strike and he’s out policy after recruiting incident/legal issues) & Thenarse as an Athletes.

Callahan’s 2005 class has 3 CB’s – Bowman (hurt), a juco named Brian Wilson I’ve never heard of and Calvin Mickens that must have decommitted or something, he’s crossed off now. We also had Robert Rands, RB/DB, whatever happened to him. No safeties, but maybe that’s what Leon Jackson would have been had he stayed (he was a RB/DB). We did get 2 TE’s and FIVE WR’s.

2004 was the mixed year, mostly Solich – 1 CB, Grixby.

I know one thing about secondaries, the more heat on the QB without blitzing, the better they look

You do understand Footbal in MN!! I never new?????